Five Things to Think About When You’re Buying a Doormat
Doormats are an easy and cost-effective way of making quite a noticeable difference in your home. Not only are they a great way of brightening up your entrance — the first thing visitors see when they come to your home — but a good quality mat will also help to keep the rest of your flooring clean as it absorbs water and collects dirt, debris and mud from the sole of the shoe.
Here’s our quick guide to the top five things to think about when you’re buying your doormat:
Location, location, location
Do you want your doormat to sit outside or inside your threshold? If it’s going on the outside you’ll want it to be particularly durable and manufactured from a hard-wearing and, above all, weather-proof material. You’ll also need to think about drainage — the mat should be able to let rainwater drain away, otherwise you and your guests will be standing on a saturated mat, which is neither effective as a doormat nor particularly pleasant on the feet. If your mat is going indoors you can choose from a lot of different materials, as it won’t need to be so tough or have drainage features.
Thick or thin
The thickness of the mat, or the pile, is a measurement of the depth of the surface, much like a carpet. You can get super-thin mats, almost like linoleum, or extra-thick ones that are usually more comfortable to walk on. If your mat is going inside your doorway, it’s important that you think about your door clearance. If your door is flush to the floor you haven’t got room for a thick mat. Alternatively, if there’s a sizable gap there, a thicker pile can be useful as a draught excluder.
Keeping it clean…
Your new entrance mat is one of the first things anyone sees when they enter your home. You’ll want to keep it clean to provide the best first impression — so make sure you check out (and are happy with) the cleaning instructions before you buy. Rubber or vinyl mats can usually be wiped, sprayed or otherwise wet-washed fairly quickly, low profile mats can typically be kept fresh with a quick sweep or as part of your vacuuming, but a deeper pile like a coir will need a bit more work.
Clean shoes, clean floors
If your goal is to provide a mat so that people can wipe their feet dry and clean before entering the rest of your house, then you’ll want a deeper pile with a more hard-wearing finish. The best-in-show here is the coconut coir — its surface can deal with anything you throw at it, and you won’t need to replace it for many, many years. The hard part is keeping it clean — while a coir mat will naturally hide a multitude of sins and is fast drying, you will have to put some effort into cleaning it now and again. A nice middle ground between coir and rubber mats at the other end of the spectrum is the cotton or microfibre option. They’re very good when it comes to absorbency and retention of dirt, but they’re also fairly easy to keep clean.
How big?
Size should be a fairly easy decision to come to. Measure your threshold, and make sure that your new mat has sufficient width and length for people to comfortably step on it. UK standard sized, single front doors will usually be fine with a 60cm x 90cm mat, whereas double doors or patio/conservatory doors will need a much larger version.
If you’re looking for the perfect doormat, consider First Mats. Their extensive knowledge coupled with a focus on providing remarkable products will leave you loving your new doormat.
